The start to the 2024 NFL regular season is not going according to plan in Kansas City, as the Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens see a delay in kickoff due to thunderstorms in the area.
An announcement was placed on the GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium jumbotron telling fans to head up to the concourse to get out of the rain to come.
“Please be advised that due to pending weather conditions, all event/game activities will be interrupted. GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium asks that all guests make their way to the concourses and out of the elements and follow the direction of Stadium Staff,” the announcement read. “GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium apologizes for the inconvenience and will inform you when it is safe to return to your seat. Thank you.”
According to NFL Insider, Ian Rapoport, “The #Ravens and #Chiefs have cleared the field and fans were asked to make their way to the concourses due to inclement weather in the area. Kickoff scheduled for 8:20 pm ET.”
This wasn’t the first time. A match between the two franchises has been delayed, with almost a decade ago in 2013, Ravens faced a similar headache. While, for the Chiefs, the delay was more recent in 2019.
Fans will have to wait a little while longer for the Week 1 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens due to an unexpected thunderstorm in the area.
There was just a 2% chance of rain heading into the game, but the NFL is just lucky like that. The bad weather came just ahead of kickoff and all the festivities in store for the league’s season-opening game. The first game of the 2024 NFL season is officially in what is considered a weather delay.
Fans and players were met with a message on the video board at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium with heavy rainfall and lightning in the area. Kickoff was initially set for 7:20 p.m. CT, but according to Chiefs Digest’s Matt Derrick a delay of 20-30 minutes is possible.
Players were escorted from the field during pregame warm-ups and went to their locker rooms. They’ll try to keep loose and resume warm-ups after the weather passes through the area. Teams will likely have to agree to some sort of truncated warm-up if they’re to get this thing started on time.
The Chiefs, of course, had a little fun with it on social media.
Hopefully, the delay doesn’t last too long. Fans in the Chiefs Kingdom have been waiting 29 weeks to see their Super Bowl LVIII banner raised and to see some more championship-caliber football.
